Far Away Dreams
by Diarydream
Summary: Ishiguro Akemi had lost everything in life and made her way to Konoha, hoping to start over and become happy. But unfortunately life is unfair and the village she once dreamt of had now become a nightmare. There was only one thing keeping her there- Naruto. "I don't want to be the hero. I want to be the heroine that saves the hero." MAY EVENTUALLY BECOME RATED M!
1. Chapter 1 The smell of death

I'm sorry to announce that this first chapter must start with an authors note! I just want to make some stuff clear. Ishiguro is her last name, Akemi her first. Now, this story will not be one where the character is only a kickass Kunoichi. She will go trough much harder things than only that. Which is why I must ask of you to be a bit patient. She needs to be led into her role first and for this to work I need to start out with some non-shinobi asswhooping chapters. I still hope you'll enjoy it though ~ Let's start with the first chapter, the Prologue.

Far Away Dreams

Fire. Everything was burning. Dead bodies of animals were lain everywhere and wooden houses were crumbling under the heat of the blazing substance called lava. The gate was closed with a spell, making sure no one could escape. Just in front of that very same gate was the body of a, as far as one could guess, eleven years old boy. His head was gone, severed from the rest of his limbs. His milky white skin was stained with crimson and his once pure white clothing now nearly black from the dirt. A large black wolf lay next to him, barely breathing and with blood pouring onto the ground. He could barely open his eyes, but that didn't keep him from taking a look at his old master's body. He wanted nothing more than find his masters' head, but he couldn't. He was just too weak. He couldn't think clear any longer.

Another scream filled the air, this one not the same as the others. It was much higher, not like the scream of one facing death but like the one seeing it. _'Mistress...'_ The wolf thought as a tear fell from his left eye. A thousand thoughts went through his head making him ever dizzier then before. His breathing slowed down even more. The wolf was ready to give up. He was ready to stop fighting, but something told him to stay alive. Something told him to keep breathing, to keep fighting. And his fighting was worth it.

After a few minutes a girl came limping towards him. His sight was blurry, but he could make out the small form of his princess. He could still see her bright red hair, that beautiful hair she and the rest of the clan were so very proud of. She was drenched with blood and clutching her left arm which had blood running down it, dripping off her hand but she still looked beautiful. She was desperately trying to catch her breath. _'Akemi-sama...'_ the wolf thought, for he could not speak. He was simply too tired.

The girl fell to her knees next to him. His eyes were threatening to close, but he dug his sharp claws into his leg harshly to make sure he wouldn't fall asleep. "Hold on, Yoru." The girl said with a voice so gentle it could calm down a dragon. The wolf nodded his head and sighed. He was going to be okay now. Everything would be fine.

The girl concentrated and started glowing, a beautiful pure white colour surrounding her hands. She hovered her hands above the wolf's wounds and opened her mouth. A soft and beautiful melody left it. Words in foreign language filled the air, words only native Ishiguro could hope to understand and even most of them couldn't even hope to master. It was the language of the Ishiguro royals. The language this one princess excelled in. Slowly but steadily the gentle white light entered the black wolfs' body and his wound started closing. The young girl took a deep breath as the white energy began fading, her heart beating fast, almost too fast.

Slowly she started leaning on her hands. Her entire body was covered with cuts, bruises and blood. Tears were falling from her face and she was clenching her teeth. She dug her hands into the ground, sand filling her fists with earth and other things covering it. She was reaching the limit. Her heart was over-flowing, threatening to burst.

She screamed.

The scream was filled with emotions and it was heart-breaking. The pain and sadness in that scream was overwhelming and it saddened the wolf even more than before. Never before had he heard such a scream and his heart broke. That's when he knew. They were alone. The only ones left.

"Akemi-sama..." The wolf began, slowly standing up. He wobbled for a bit, finding it hard to stand steadily but after a while finding his footing. "Akemi-sama, we have to go. We have to leave." he told the five years old girl whose face was covered by her hair. He couldn't see it, but he was sure her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were closed tightly. If he, a twenty-two year old wolf, was almost unable to bear the pain how would a small five years old be able? She was shaking, her tears dripping on the blood-stained ground. She couldn't believe it. Just yesterday everything was fine. Her mother was cooking dinner happily, her father was coming home from work with a smile on his face and her brothers were playing tag with her. How could things have gone so very wrong?

She knew the wolf was right, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Her legs refused. This was simply too much for a five years old to take. She was lost. She felt alone and she was in pain. Her heart gave up and everything went black.

The wolf cursed under his breath and walked towards her, occasionally limping. He took her on his back. It was then and there that the black wolf decided. With the heavy weight of the little girl on his back he slowly made his way to the huge gate. The caster of the spell was now gone, making it possible for them to leave this place. The wolf put the girl on the ground outside of the gate and then trudged back inside. He gathered every single body, gathering them all at the main crosswalk and then he burned them. He burned the bodies of their loved ones, of their families. No one was spared.

Then he left. He turned his back towards the gate and picked up the girl once more. He muttered a final spell, one that would make it impossible for anyone but an Ishiguro to enter the village. And then he slowly walked away, taking one last look.

And what was the worst part? They couldn't blame anyone. No one. It was their own fault after all.


	2. Chapter 2 The nostalgic smile

_ "__I want to be strong like daddy and kind like mommy!" A gentle voice stated, filled with confidence. The voice belonged to a small red-headed child. She and her companions were standing in a field filled with flowers of all kinds. Those bright colours made her beautiful red hair stand out even more. There were many speculations about the true colour of her hair because many had only heard of the bright-headed princess, but once you saw her you would not be able to debate about the crimson hair she wore with pride. She was smiling widely, her eyes closed as she was spinning in circles. This girl looked so very happy that one couldn't help but become happy themselves. One couldn't help but love her. There were a few bruises on her arms but it did not affect her beauty and charm._

_A man stood in front of her, his arms around a woman's waist whose hair was a more gentle version of the girls' red. She was beautiful. Her white skin, pink lips and kind brown eyes were of a beauty no human being could ever hope to possess. The lighter red hair was framing her face as if she was a work of art, which she was for that matter. _

_The man's long spiky black hair waved trough the wind, his mouth pulled up into a smirk. He looked young. His features were defined, his shoulders broad. He was every woman's dream with those amazing blue eyes of his._

_"__You'll have to beat us first, imouto." Two males appeared, each a slightly darker shade of red hair from the girl. They were twins, but you could easily see the difference. One had long hair in a ponytail while the other had long hair that was tied up with a crown which symbolised him being the crown-prince. But neither of them could ever hope to challenge the beauty of the little girl, who by now was making her way towards them with a speed one was unable to see with the untrained eye. "Kazuki-niichan! Kenshin-niisama!" The girls' face lit up. She ran to them as fast as she could, jumping in their waiting arms._

_They laughed as they got knocked over, rolling a little bit further because of the impact the little girl caused."Honey... Be a little gentle with them, will you?" The older male said as he was smirking still. His head was positioned on top of the woman's. "But father!" The girl grinned as she stood up and made her merry way towards the man and the woman. "It's not my fault that they're weak!" she said, with a mocking voice. Her father laughed as her two brothers started protesting loudly. They were frowning, but amusement was visible in their eyes. "Sweetie." The woman started while releasing herself from the males' tight grasp. She walked towards the girl and crouched down next to her, stroking her cheek gently. "They're not ónly weak," The males started cheering thinking their mother was on their side, however, that happiness didn't continue for long. The woman winked at the little girl. "They're stupid too."_

_"__Oi! Mom!" The twins said while protesting loudly once again. The other three started laughing loudly, the girl hugging her mother. Just being here together surrounded by the beautiful flowers and animals they couldn't be happier._

I woke up, gasping loudly. My breathing was heavy and I reached for my head. _'A dream...'_ I thought to myself as I closed my eyes. My breathing slowly became steadier as I started to calm down. I sighed as I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky. The sun was already out and my eyes hurt a little from its brightness, but I couldn't look away. My heart felt heavy as I remembered my dream. _'Only four years have passed...'_

I stretched my limbs._ 'Everything was still peaceful back then...' _ I thought as I chuckled a little at the memory of my brothers falling down from my hug. My chuckle ceased and it turned into a small gentle smile.

I let out a deep breath as I stood up. I dusted off my clothes as I picked up my backpack. I looked over to my left and found two other sleeping forms. "Yoru, Asa, get up. We're leaving." I said while gently nudging their sides. Neither of them made any sign of movement. A sigh escaped my lips. I put my hands on my hips and shifted my weight from my left leg to my right. "Asa, if you don't get up now I'm going to burn your precious books. And Yoru, you can be sure about losing that little diary of yours." I said with a strong voice. They knew not to mess with me when I just woke up.

Me threatening them is what woke them up. After all, those books were their treasures. I never understood why though. They were just a bunch of perverted and over-valued porn books, but both of them seemed to love them unconditionally. The importance of Yoru's diary I could understand. It was his everything.

They quickly jumped to their feet as they were freaking out. "Okay, we're up. Please don't burn my books." Asa pleaded with me as he fell to his knees. I couldn't help but smirk. "They're that important, huh?" I said with my famous mocking voice.

They glared at me. "Are you kidding me?!" Asa shouted, shaking his head wildly. Yoru did the same while walking towards me. "They are holy! Holy, I tell ya!" I raised my eyebrow. Asa's English was never really impressive, but I got used to it. Yoru kept quiet.

"I don't want to hear another word about this, understood?" I said, turning and walking away from them. A soft grin appeared on my face. Fools. They whined but didn't protest; they knew better. They grabbed their backpacks in their mouths and started walking next to me.

Yoru, a pure black wolf, and Asa whose full name was Asami, a golden lion, were two of my protectors. They were bound to me by soul and have served me ever since my clan was annihilated. I love them like they're my brothers, but they can be a total pain in the butt.

"So, where to, lady Akemi?" Yoru asked while picking me up and putting me on his back. Both Yoru and Asa were huge. They were four times my size, but they could become smaller at will. They were a little smaller then my height at the moment. And they weren't even full grown yet. I wondered how big they would be at full grown size.

"Konohagakure. We have something to attend to." I said while putting my arms around Yoru's neck. Both Yoru and Asa knew of my father's fondness of the village that was hidden in the leaves. The way my father used to talk about it, it was like he was longing for it. As if it was home. Asa grinned. He couldn't wait, that was for sure. After years of wandering the nations we were tired and desired a home. A place to stay, where we wouldn't be kicked out after a few days. We were craving for such a place. Perhaps Konoha was it.

In less than half a day we arrived at the gates of The village hidden in the Leaf. It would have taken three days by foot, but Asa and Yoru were quick. Not many could even hope to match their speed. And mine either, for that matter. I was trained by the standards of my old clan, Speed, Strength and Intelligence were things you had to posses. My clan didn't go easy on you. I looked at the gates and smiled.

_'We're__finally__here,__dad. I__will__do__as you__wished.'_ I said while taking a deep breath. I willed myself to not be nervous, to be calm. "Asa, Yoru." I said. I didn't need to tell them what I was going to do. They knew.

They took one last look at me before nodding at each other. "Good luck, Akemi." they said but just as I was about to correct them they laughed and disappeared. I shook my head with a small smile. Idiots that they were, they were still family. I took a deep breath as I looked at the gate. My feet moved and just like that I took the first step towards it. The first step towards my new home. Well, at least I hoped it would be.

Now, did you all like it? Be sure to leave reviews. I like them! I like reading trough them and stuff. As long as I know who's reading my stories I'm content.

Love, Sarah.


	3. Chapter 3 Down the distant road

The more steps I took, the closer I got. The gate became bigger, the two people at the gate became clearer and I became more nervous. I took a deep breath and pulled my confidence back in. I was Akemi, I could do this. Though deep inside of me there was a little voice that couldn't help but haunt me. "Everyone will die." and "It's all your fault." It says as it makes sure I am miserable. I ignore it, though not without difficulty.

The closer I came, the bigger the two figures sitting near the gate became. I bit my lip and sighed. _'It's_ _now or never.' _I thought as I walked up to them. I take my last step and smile as the two males turn to me. One of them had very spiky hair and a bandage-like thing across his nose. He was standing there with his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised, a slight frown adorning his quite handsome face. The other one looked gentler- kinder. He had a hat-like thing on and his hair was covering one part of his face. They were both dressed in blue and the standard jacket. They just stood there, not saying a word. As if they were assessing how much of a threat I was. I didn't say anything as I was waiting for them to talk first. It seemed the most polite thing to do. Finally one of them cleared his throat.

"Hi, how can we help you?" The spiky-haired one asked as he put his hands in their pockets as he stared at me. I smiled lightly. "I would like to become a resident of Konoha." I said as I held my hands behind my back. My nerves were slowly disappearing and I felt a lot more comfortable already. A sigh of relief escaped me.

"Do you have a permit?" The spiky-haired one said as he crossed his arm over his chest. He was trying to look more intimidating, though the reason had escaped me. I was nine, what was there to intimidate? I allowed the question in my mind to become visible on my face. "Permit?" I asked as I bit my lip. I had never heard about needing a permit to enter Konohagakure. It was unneeded in the other villages I went to. I had no permit.

"Yes, a permit. If you do not have one we cannot allow you to enter the village without going trough the intelligence division." The hat-man said as he smiled gently. At least someone had some sense of kindness. I shook my head. "I'm sorry... I don't have one... I didn't know." I bowed my head. "Where are your parents, little one?" The gentle man asked me as he crouched down to my level. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"They're gone." I didn't feel like talking about my parents. It brought to many bad memories. The spiky-haired man sighed as he rubbed his face. "Look kid, I need to take you to intelligence. Rules are rules." He said as he took a step towards me, a frown was adorning his face. I shook my head up and down. I understood, I was just really nervous.

I smiled up at the man. "It's fine. I understand. Please take me there." I said as I took a step forward. The men both seemed like they really didn't want to do this, but they had no choice. I understood, I really did. It was their duty and they had to follow the rules. "Izumo, you can stay. It's not that far." The spiky-haired man said to the other man whose name was apparently Izumo.

Izumo frowned but didn't answer. He knew someone needed to stay. "Fine, but just... Don't let them go overboard, Kotetsu..." The spiky-haired man, Kotetsu, shook his head. "I cannot promise anything."

And then he turned around and started walking in long strides. It took me some effort to keep up, but after a few minutes it became natural. I fell into step beside Kotetsu and sighed. After another few minutes we arrived at a big, grey building. Kotetsu led me inside and didn't even stop at the front desk. He kept walking until we reached a large, black door and pushed it open.

"Yamanaka!" He shouted after pointing towards a chair. I took it as a sign for me to sit down, and thus I did. It took only a half a minute or so for a large, blonde, long-haired man to appear with one eyebrow scrunched up. He was wearing long, black coat. "What's wrong, Kotetsu?" He said as he wiped his hand on a rag or such. Kotetsu pointed towards me. "She didn't have a permit. You need to see if she's allowed in." He said as he took his seat in a chair against the walls.

The blonde sighed as he threw away the rag. "She's only- wait, how old are you, dear?" He asked me as he crouched down in front of me. "I'm nine." I said, proud of the years I had already lived. They were not as many as the man's, but I was glad to be alive after all I had been trough. He gave me a sad smile as he ruffled my hair. She was the same age as his beautiful daughter. "I'm sorry, hun. But in order to make sure you aren't a threath to the village I have to look around in your mind a bit." He said. He stood up and waved me over to a large metal table.

"Can you lay down on this?" He said as he looked into my eyes. I was always a short girl and with me being short I couldn't reach the table. The man- Yamanaka, chuckled as he put his hands under my shoulder and lifted me up on the table. I laid down, taking a deep breath.

Yamanaka looked me in the eyes once more. "This won't hurt, it'll just be a bit uncomfortable." I nodded my head as I closed my eyes. I faintly heard the man utter a jutsu as suddenly I felt a intrusion in my mind. One that didn't belong there.

Yamanaka searched trough her memories, viewing ones where she was playing with Asa and Yoru in the rain in amegakure, eating dango with the suna-baachan at the elder woman's shop, laughing as she set the kumo-nin's hair on fire- on accident, she swore, running away from the kirigakure shinobi as she had once again sabotaged another one of their get togethers. The man couldn't help but laugh at the childish antics of the young girl. Yes, young she may be, but he found himself admiring her for the amount of the world she had seen. He, himself had never gone to that many places.

It was then that the man stumbled upon something very disturbing. He had just reached the part of six years of age and younger. A mind block, one which he could not get past. Someone exceedingly powerful had to have put it there. Then, Yamanaka got small flashes of things he had never wanted a child to see. Blood coating the once pure white walls crimson, screams filling the air, bodies laying around and worst of all, a konoha head-protecter laying there, mocking the shinobi. Yamanaka was disturbed, to say the least. This was bad, very bad. This meant-

He couldn't finish his thoughts as he was thrown out of the girl's mind, flying backwards. Kotetsu, having been keeping an eye upon the two, caught the blonde. He frowned, silently wondering what had occured.

"Kotetsu..." Yamanaka began sadly for he really didn't want to do this. "She has a block. I cannot get past it. I did, however, see things I cannot ignore. We need Ibiki." He said as he shook his head. He had not wanted the cute nine-years old to be handed to the cruelty Ibiki Morino was, but this was protocol. He had to follow it.

It was in the following hour that I was unconcious that I was transported from the nice, tranquil room into a cold, dark room. It took me some time to regain conciousness, but I was deeply shocked by what awaited me. A large man wearing the same coat Yamanaka had worn and who had scars framing his face was looking down on me.

"My name is Ibiki. Now, tell us why you have a mind block." He said as he looked me in the eyes quite threathening. A mind block? I had a mind block? I didn't know. I shook my head wildly. "I don't know." I said as I looked at the things laying behind him. I recognized them. Torture objects. Fear crashed down on me.

In my head I was screaming. I couldn't believe it. Was this Konoha? The kind, loving village she had heard so very much about not only from others, but from her father? The village her father had adored, was it this cruel place? A place where they would torture young girls because she happened to have a mind block?

**_[a/n] Warning, torture scene. It's quite light, but if you cannot handle it skip it._**

The man took a knife from the table. "Don't lie!" He demanded in a loud voice. I glared at him, but I didn't speak. I remained as quiet as a mouse, the only sound you could hear were the sounds of our breathing. Ibiki stepped forward and I could feel his thumbnail jab deeply in my scalp. Slowly, tauntingly he drug the sharp knife over the pale skin on my left arm. His grip tightened, wrenching my face around, and I could feel the individual hairs being pulled free of the roots, one by one.

The chair was knocked from underneath me and I was suspended by my hair for a split second before hitting the stone floor. The impact knocked the breath from me and I was sure it had broken some of my ribs as I gasped one quick, painful gulp of air before the knife was once again dug into the delicate skin of this time my right thigh.

I could feel the screams ripping from my throat, feel the blinding pain wrack trough my bones and flesh. When it stopped, someone was straddling my body, holding me by the neck, their face inches from mine. I peered into the dimness and saw one heavy-lidded eye bearing down upon me.

"Tch, tch, tch, tch. Bad... girl..." Ibiki crooned softly, his breath burning my ear as he stroked my hair with the knife. "Let's do hurry this along. You see, I have more people to torture and they are far more interesting then a small, little girl such as yourself. Although I have to admit, you're a stubborn little wench." said Ibiki, sitting upright and pointing his knife at my neck. "I'm going to ask you again, where did you get the mind block? _Where?_"

"I don't know-I don't know-PLEASE!" Fingers had been winding through my hair again as I spoke and they forced my head around until my nose was pressed against the floor. The lunatic was going to rupture my spinal column. I gave a cry of pain as the fingers twisted tighter before they finally let go and the weight on top of me vanished.

I could hear footsteps clack across the room, prowling from one side to the other. I rolled over to my stomach and tried to stand but It was no use. Long, hot fingers seized my wrist, twisting my arm behind me, forcing me back to the floor. There was a snap and a shockingly intense pain shot down my arm from my shoulder. I shrieked and kicked as my shoulder was forced further and further from it's socket. Then something sharp pierced my side and I willed myself to be still.

"What else did you get? Perhaps a mark somewhere?" I could feel the man's saliva spray my face, mingling with my own tears. "Tell me the truth or, I swear, I will run you trough with this knife!"

"I didn't- I don't know what you're talking about- I don't," I sobbed. "Please- I really don't!"

"You're lying to me, wench!" Ibiki whispered through clenched teeth. He had backed away again, and I waited for the following torture he would certainly inflict on me. I didn't know what to do. Was this truly Konoha?

"This is what happens if you lie," he said, his voice silken. He flicked his wrist and it was as if I had been plunged into a bath of acid. I could hear myself yelling, could feel my able limbs failing, the torment prolonged, but, this time, only physical.

I was faintly aware of a scream filling the air, and the torment stopping. My tormentor being yelled at.

I could faintly see the gentle face of my mother. It was not real, I knew it was not real. The frigid floor, slick beneath my cheek, was real. My heavy, useless, aching arm was real. My lungs' refusal to take in air was real. I blinked furiously, but the image would not clear. Eyes opened or closed, it was all I could see.

I sensed a presence beside me. Something prodded me in the back and I reflexively jerked away. I could see an elder man wearing a white and red coat and the blond man from before standing behind him with a pain-filled face. My tormenter was being held down, kunai to his neck.

There was a shrill, disbelieving voice in the air above me. Then my jaws parted, my screams spending the last breath left in my lungs, before, finally, everything disintegrated into oblivion.


	4. Chapter 4 Midnight Memories

It was not the loud yelling outside the door or the banging against the wall, but the soft beeping of the machine next to me that woke me up. The gentle blowing of the wind through the trees outside of my window and the bright light shining down upon my face also helped. It took me some time to get to my senses. I couldn't open my eyes, couldn't move my body and trying to move even something small and insignificant like a finger hurt immensely. My arm throbbed and my back hurt. Where was I?

Slowly, but cruelly the memories of what happened came back to me. I remembered getting at the gate, the intelligence department and the cruel man with the scars. I shivered. The move got me to gasp for breath so fiercely that I choked on air and was forced to arch my back which hurt even more. I was in so much pain. When was this going to stop?

I didn't hear the beeping of the machine getting faster- dangerously fast. The sliding doors opened quickly and my bed was surrounded. I heard things in soft murmurs, which must have been shouts for them because I could barely hear a thing. A hand was pressed on my chest and I struggled against it. It hurt, they couldn't touch me. They shouldn't touch me, it only made it worse!

A scream ripped itself from my throat. I wanted them off of me. I was pain; they needed to stop touching me.

Finally someone seemed to understand. I heard a shout of somewhere along the lines of 'Don't touch her!' and all hands let go. The voice sounded male, but there was nothing else I could comprehend. I calmed down slightly, whipping my head around. I wanted to open my eyes, I wanted to see, I wanted out of here. And then I felt a slight pinch in my arm and everything went black once again.

My dreams were filled with memories, filled with longing and loving, filled with desire and pain. It was only too soon that I woke up once again. This time there was no bright light, but a gentle soft glow. I slowly pried open my eyes with huge difficulty and found myself looking at the beautiful full moon. Stars were surrounding it; there was not a cloud to be seen.

A sigh escaped my lips. I had always loved the moon. It was symbolic to my clan. We lived off the moon, it gave us strength. It was during the full moon that we were at our strongest. The moon was our mother, the sun our father. No, the sun didn't give us any power of enhanced strength, but the sun was the moon's lover, our mother's lover, and thus the sun was our father. It was a subject not many knew about, but of course there had never been another clan so close to the gods as we were.

I took a look around the room I was in. It was white and tranquil. I disliked it. I immediately knew I was in a hospital, but it wasn't anything strange after what happened. I just didn't expect being in a hospital. In all truth, I thought I had died. The dark was so very gentle, coaxing me towards the end but I didn't give in. I knew I could never give in. I had a promise to live up to.

I took a deep breath and tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't let me. It was too weak and distaste immediately filled my heart. How could I be this weak? I had never been this weak before and it bothered me. I missed my companions and I missed walking around the nations without a worry. Konoha ruined this.

A strong dislike for the nation filled me. I had thought Konoha to be a gentle, kind nation. When did it turn into this cruel place? I quickly shoved the feeling down. No matter how much I disliked this place, I had made a promise. I had no choice.

After struggling for a while I finally got myself to sit up straight. I took a hold of the needles in my arm and ripped them out. I small groan escaped me as I threw them on the ground. Damn it. That hurt. I swung my small legs over the side of the bed and pushed myself off it. The landing was clumsy and painful. I gasped trough my clenched teeth as I made sure to keep my sounds inside. It wouldn't do to alert someone, now would it?

In order to take my mind of the pain I quietly started humming a song my mother used to sing to me as I took a small step towards the window, wary of taking too big steps. Another groan was uttered as my foot was placed on the ground. I kept my swear in as I had already cursed way too much for my liking. I was never a cursing kind of girl. I gasped as I took another step. It just hurt so much. What had that man done to me?

After struggling for a little while more I finally reached the window and pushed it open with one hand. The other was resting around my damaged waist. I looked up at the moon, love filling my heart. I bowed slightly as I clasped my hands together. _"Mother, please take care of me." _I thought.

It was then that I heard something behind me move. It was soft, but I heard it. I turned around quickly, which didn't turn out to be that great of an idea. I fell to my knees as a small pained scream escaped my lips into the world for all to hear. I scrunched my eyes closed and bit my lip. I felt someone come up to me and pick me up, placing me back onto the hospital bed.

"You shouldn't be up." A deep voice, male. I couldn't get myself to look at the person because my body hurt but I felt him placing the IV back into my arm. I shook my head "I know." It was the only thing I managed to get out as I laid back into the mattress and waited until the pain had lessened. The male had taken to sitting in a chair next to my bed quietly.

I took a deep breath as the pain slowly ebbed away. We sat in a comfortable silence; not bothering to ask any questions be both knew we wouldn't answer. I took my time to take a look at the man.

He was very well built. Wide shoulders, lean body. His face was covered by a mask; only one eye of his was peaking trough the cloth. Grey hair was spiked up, defying gravity to the max. I found it very amusing.

Then he breached a line. He spoke.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice filled with cold. I knew he wasn't interested. He was ordered to get as much information as possible. And thus I obliged him.

"Akemi." I answered in the same steely cold voice as he had. Surprise crossed his eyes for a second before disappearing immediately. I knew it was an answer that would most likely piss him off but I couldn't help it. I was never someone who made things easier for others.

"Last name." He stated, not even bothering to ask. I stared him right in the eye. "Ishiguro."

He shook his head. I knew why. There doesn't exist an Ishiguro clan, well, not according to them. They didn't know of us. No one knew, really.

He sighed as he stood up.

"You're making things awfully difficult for yourself." He said as he put his hands into his pockets and bowed forward. His one visible eye seemed to look into my soul. I knew he wouldn't be able to find anything, but that didn't mean it didn't bother me.

My body started throbbing once again, and it was then that I knew that whoever healed me sucked at medical ninjutsu.

Medical ninjutsu was so tricky because it required the user to have an in-depth knowledge of the human body. You couldn't just form hand seals and let the jutsu do the rest. And the human body is a complex machine. There are thousands of different parts and thousands of different ways in which they can be damaged. A lot of study is simply rote memorisation of facts bit there were a lot of facts to be memorised. Asses to that was the difficulty of forming and holding Yin natured chakra. All in all, it was no wonder there was only one in a hundred shinobi that even_ tried_ to study medical ninjutsu.

The man must have seen my flinch because he sighed and walked towards the door. He slid it open and turned around once more.

"Be sure to rest. We'll be back tomorrow." He said and somehow the tone he used when he said it didn't predict a lot of good. The man turned and left, shoving the door closed roughly.

I took a little time to think back to my parents. I couldn't sleep yet and normally one of my familiars would help me sleep. Alas, they weren't here. I think it took me merely minutes before I finally fell asleep once again, dreading the thing that was going to take place tomorrow.

I had not slept well. It might be more accurate to say that I had a nightmare, probably brought on by the nervousness and pain I felt. I woke silently, the gasp never leaving my lips, eyes flaring wide and darting about my hospital room. For a second, I thought there was someone standing in the corner. But no, there was no one there. My chakra sense told me the only person in the room was I.

The human brain was good at facial recognition. Too good sometimes, because it found faces in other things – shadows as a prime example. It was particularly common during hypnagogia, or waking sleep.

Funnily enough, that didn't really reassure me.

I gathered chakra into my hands. If you get a great enough concentration, chakra could become visible. I called it up and held my hands out, reassuring me that there was no one there.

A knock resounded into the hospital room and the door was slid open. I sat there, unsure of what to do. A man stepped through the door. He was followed by two people in masks, each of a different animal. He smiled at me, though I was pretty sure there was some animosity behind that smile. The old man looked kind, acted kind, but inside every person there's a dark side. Even inside this man.

The man walked towards the side of my bed and sat down in the chair beside it. He took off the ridiculous hat and folded his hands together in his lap. His eyes were stern – cold, whereas his face had a smile. His eyes betrayed his almost perfect image of the gentle old man.

"Hello, Akemi. My name is Hiruzen. I am the Hokage, leader of this village." The elder had held out his hand, ready for me to take it. I just sat there, not moving. He slowly retracted his hand, a little twinkle in his eye. The twinkle was not one of kindness, let me tell you.

Hiruzen cleared his throat. "Well, anyway," he ordered the two masked people to leave the room with nothing more but a nod of his head. "I'm very sorry about what happened. Rest assured, Ibiki has been punished." An awkward silence filled the room. I had no desire to talk.

"The two guards, Kotetsu and Izumo, told me about you wishing to join the village. Now, of course, I cannot simply allow this. But as you have already been searched by Yamanaka-san there is nothing more I can do."

He stood up and folded his hands behind his back. He had an air of importance, of strength.

"I will allow it, but you'll have to do everything yourself. I will not give you funds nor will I allow you to stay in the orphanage seeing as you came here alone and you could pose a threat."

I finally decided to ask the question that had been bothering me for a while already.

"Where will I be staying?" I asked quietly.

The man snorted as he looked at me once more. He looked at me as if I was trash and nothing more.

"Well, I think I heard Ichigan-san of the Ichigan inn and hot springs saying she needed a new servant. You'll do nicely, won't you?"

It was then, as the man turned and left, that the familiar feeling of dread filled me once again and I gulped. I was truly scared.


	5. Chapter 5 Those days

Reality dictates that for everything that is done, it must come at a cost; in economics this is known as the opportunity cost. The cost of partaking in one action means that another action did not take place; but for every action that comes to place, for every decision there comes a split in reality. As such, there is no one universe, but a multitude of universes where every decision that is possible comes to realization.

A few days had passed and I was spending my time in the hospital, recovering. There were not many doctors or nurses willing to get close to me. I think in all the time I spent there I had only met three different people. They never talked to me. They just refreshed my bandages, checked my vitals and left once again. Every now and then I would be brought food but even that was barely eatable.

I felt truly miserable and once again my thoughts returned to my father. Was this the village he had loved so much? Because honestly; you couldn't call this a village. This was no more than a place for torture. A sick place those people called home. I had wondered why I even came here, but I quickly shook that thought away. Maybe I was meant to come here in order to change this village. Perhaps I was not. Who could tell?

I couldn't exactly remember how many days I spent there. I was out most of the time. They probably drugged me for some reason. A snort escaped me. I had guessed that I was there for about five days, but I could not be sure.

At one point they had decided I had healed enough in order to work. They sent me to the Hokage who in his own turn sent me to the Ichigan inn he had spoken off before. He had told me that I would have to work in order to be allowed to live in the village, even if I was scum. I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. How could you say that to a nine-year old? I was lucky I had matured early on, but another wouldn't be able to take his slants and comments without dropping multiple drops of salty water; tears.

I was surrounded by the men with masks as they escorted me to the inn. They probably did it so that I wouldn't run away. Which I probably would have, for that matter. One of the men had his hand on my shoulder in a tight grip. His nails were digging in my skin. I could feel them tearing through the rags I had been ordered to wear. Apparently I was unworthy of proper clothing.

I couldn't help but laugh at that comment. I, an Heiress- no, the Heiress of the prestige Ishiguro clan, unworthy of proper clothing. How amusing was that?

The man's claws tightened and I quickly regained my emotionless mask. It was the mask I had taught myself to wear a long time ago. I had spent some years in Sunagakure and had lived there with a nice old lady called Sayomi. Her husband had passed away a few years prior to my arrival. Sayomi earned what little money she had by carving beautiful dolls and furniture. Her stuff had been one of the most sought after pieces because of how beautiful they were and how few there were.

After I had arrived she had taught me the art. She had felt sorry for me, a young child living on the streets, and had thus allowed me into her home graciously. She had fed me, clothed me and given me a roof above my head. However, the final year was when everything had gone wrong.

The year had begun with an unforeseeable heatstroke, one fiercer then those before, and the wood had become too dry. It made it impossibly hard for us to get the woods necessary for the carving and thus business had become terrible little. And such we had become unable to pay for the medicine Sayomi so desperately needed. I had taken on some odd jobs and every single ryo had gone to either food or medicine. Only the basics, really. I was aware of this even more then Sayomi herself had been; after all it was my responsibility to look after my strict yet gentle 'grandmother'. The elderly woman had taught me so incredibly much, from writing, calligraphy and properly counting to manners and tea ceremonies. Sayomi had been the one to give me my second summoning contract, the lions. The lion contract had been in her family for a long time and as Sayomi had no children she had given me, the one she saw as a granddaughter, the contract.

As a consequence of not being able to pay for the medicine, Sayomi had passed away only a couple of months later with only fifty seven years. I had mourned her death bitterly. Sayomi had understood me better than my summoning companions ever could. Sayomi-obasan had been the one that noticed my bright and quick mind and had taught me the second family secret. The art of card-throwing.

Card-throwing was an art no one had ever been able to truly master except for the Nagasaki family, Sayomi's family. It was an art truly misunderstood. There was so much you could do with those cards. You could poison them, make them of iron and thus like knifes and there were so many more options.

When the time of Sayomi's death came I had been the only one sitting at her death bed; her so called 'friends' had been working in the stores like they had done on every other day. Even her best friend's death wasn't enough to make Murasaki leave her work unattended for one day.

Sayomi-obasan had used this chance to make me promise to never let myself be talked into anything that I didn't want and to make something out of my life, no matter if it went against the wishes of those around me or not. I had promised her that I would try, but I had told her I did not know if I could follow it seeing as I did not know the future. I had done so under tears and when her 'friends' returned in the evening, I had already put a white cloth over Sayomi's face and started to burn the homemade incense.

Sayomi had been buried in the field behind the village surrounded by her beloved dragon heat flowers. Flowers which only bloomed with extreme heat, like the heat that very year. She was buried amongst those bloomed flowers.

But with that the horrible year had not ended. To even out the money they had lost because of the heat Murasaki and the others had found extra work in the fields a little while from the village.

It was there that those same people had found their end. They had been working in the fields furthest from the farmhouse; all of the three people had worked alongside another two dozen farmers to brink in the last of the crops before the summer down pour began and destroyed them. The weather had been unnaturally hot and humid for days now without the slightest breeze and this had put more than one of the older villagers on edge. This particular weather was normally followed up by a destructive hailstorm and so everybody worked themselves into exhaustion to bring in the last of harvest in before the storm began.

The hailstorm that had been brewing for quite some time before hand had surprised the three friends shortly before sundown and struck them dead. Their bodies had been found after the storm had passed by only a few meters away from the farmhouse where the other workers had found shelter.

It had not been long after that I had found out the hailstorm was caused by the little red-headed boy. The son of the Kazekage.

I had left the village after, not keen on staying there when those I had cared for had all left to the other side.

And thus I had made my way to where I was currently standing, Konoha. I was standing in front of the inn I was supposed to work at. Well, apparently it was an inn. I was not stupid enough to think it was simply an inn, no. It was also a geisha house.

Not many geisha's still existed, but those few that were still there were highly sought for and respected. They had followed the old ways and still followed them no matter the pain it caused them both mentally and physically. However in my eyes they were simply prostitutes. **(A/N: For those few out there who still believe in the geisha practise and such, I do not mean to disrespect you. This is simply how Akemi thinks. I, myself, highly respect Geisha's!)**

I sighed deeply as I kept my head low. I was an intelligent specimen and I knew I was a very pretty girl. My amazing red hair would draw costumers to me like a fly to the flame, and my beautiful and sparkling caramel eyes would enchant them and take a hold of them so very tightly they would never let me go again. I also knew that if the Okaa-san would see my beauty she would use me for stuff other than household duties and cleaning duties and she would most likely train me to be a geisha myself.

I was pushed into a small room and immediately undressed. A few other young girls were surrounding me as one of them took the rags I was wearing and threw them in a bag. I was cleaned, my hair was combed and put up and I was dressed in a baby-blue yukata. I was told to sit properly with my back straight and face forward. They said the Okaa-san would soon join me. I did as ordered for I knew that if I did not I would only make things worse.

As I slowly lifted my head and opened my eyes I could hear the other girls gasp. Each and every one of those girls had very average looks and thus I stood out. They were whispering amongst each other and didn't know how to get out of the room fast enough. I could hear their whispered comments through the thin paper of the sliding doors.

"She's beautiful."

"Have you seen those eyes?"

"Oh my, that skin!"

A loud voice interrupted their conversation. The voice told them to stop lingering and get to work. I instantly knew that the voice belonged to the most powerful woman in the inn. The Okaa-san.

Fear chilled my blood and bones locked into place as it became impossible to move. Hands grabbed a hold of the sliding door and with a powerful pull it was opened. Harsh yet graceful steps were taken as someone took a seat before me. A woman seated herself in front of me. A beautiful woman she was.

The woman smiled at me, though it was more of a mix between a smile and a grin or smirk. I knew right then and there- this would not end well. Not for me.


	6. Chapter 6 Bruised

A few moments passed as she just kept on staring at me. No sounds were heard except for the silent breathing. I could hear her brains rattling from thinking of what she was going to do with me. My body wouldn't move, my bones were locked in place. I dreaded the moment this woman would begin to talk for it would not be good words she spoke. I saw the glint in her eyes and I saw her calculating the money that would roll in. A wicked smirk placed itself in her graceful face. Shiny pitch-black hair framed the heart-shaped face and milky white skin. Her lips were painted red with a balm I was sure she had made of ripe berries, oil and crystallized sugar, as most traditional geisha make-up was.

Geisha still used the traditional make-up. Even though nowadays the brands and stuff itself had improved immensely, geisha still stuck to the old ways and used white powder mixed with oils to paint their faces white and charcoal pencils to draw their eyebrows black. However, there was some change in the geisha community. They were now accompanied by female shinobi for it had become a much more dangerous place for the geisha. Many men had been trained in the ninja arts and thus it became impossibly hard for geisha to protect themselves for if a geisha had refused to lay with a shinobi the shinobi would have been humiliated and thus they would have taken revenge by forcing the geisha still.

Not only was the community dangerous, it was also highly corrupt. As geisha were taught to pleasure not just shinobi but also powerful politicians many wanted to be of high standing for only the best of the best would be allowed to lay with the political powerful. A diplomat from another nation would be received as if he was a god because he was powerful and whoever would lay with him would be viewed as a high-ranked geisha.

Most geisha nowadays had been trained in the ninja arts as well. For example, the woman in front of me had been too. She walked without a sound, a feature no one but a shinobi could hope to possess, was proud holder of a mask that even I had a hard time deciphering and sat with posture no geisha would have without strength training for all the accessories and such were simply too heavy.

The woman grabbed my face, taking a look at it and turning it like she was inspecting me. Which, I was sure, she was probably doing. She pushed my face away again and I fell back a little. She was quick and pulled me up. "Never stumble, trip or fall out of place. We must always be perfect and precise." My eyes widened. It was then that she spoke the words I had not wanted to hear. The words I highly disliked and would forever dislike. "It is one of the most important rules of a geisha."

I had expected it. How could she possibly allow one with such exotic beauty as mine to become a mere servant when she could earn so much money because of it? I would never spend my time cleaning the house, Okiya, Tea house or Inn. This place was all three in one. I could predict the woman's thoughts. She would make me unreachable. Would only grant me to those high enough in power, oh yes, how powerful the Okiya would become. She would only give me one time and then I would become impossible to have. I would be of such high standing no one could dream to have me except for those I choose.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, willing my tears to disappear. They followed my commands however hesitantly. I opened my eyes once again and looked straight into her eyes. "Yes, you will do." She said as she pulled a wicked smirk onto her face. "You will do just fine." I sent her a quiet message with just my eyes. Challenge accepted. "You start training tomorrow. Masaki and Asura will show you to your room." With that she took a last step and left the room followed by her two kunoichi guards.

I slumped in my seat and sighed with a small shudder. Damn it.

As soon as I heard the sliding doors opening once again I sat up straight. This was not a place I could afford to show weakness. If I did, I would be stumped upon without them feeling any sort of guilt or such feelings.

Two girls came in. They were graceful and pretty but they could not match the gracefulness or beauty of the okaa-san. They each had their own special features. The girl on the left had, much like myself, a beauty spot on her chin. I had mine just below my lip. The girl on the right had black hair which faded into white. I liked it, for it was definitely something special.

They made their way over to me and sat down barely making any sound. They looked at each other, probably to decide who was to talk. Neither wanted anything to do with the new girl, beautiful as she may be, sent here by the Hokage himself. They wondered what wrong I could have committed to be sent to a place like this. And to be honest, I myself wondered the same thing. I couldn't recall doing anything major or damaging. Perhaps I did something- said something while sleeping.

It took a few more minutes before the one with the ombré hair decided to speak in place of her companion, perhaps her younger sister. Apparently she was the braver one. In any case, she moved something from behind her to in between us. It was a tray of sorts, made out of pure black wood. It was not seen often. An Okiya using black woods meant it was a very famous one. It was not a widely known fact, but the insiders knew.

"Pick it up." The girl said as she stood up herself. The girl next to her followed quickly. I did as told and stood up as gracefully as I could. Her critical eyes followed me and saw every fault I made. She frowned. "Not too shabby. Follow." She ordered. I didn't like being ordered, but I kept quiet wisely.

We made our way out towards the hallway. Our steps small and feminine to the eyes of the men currently occupying the rooms. I could see the amusement in their eyes through the thin opening of the doors. A new arrival, a new prey. Loud, rumbling laughter could be heard. I had already decided that this was not only an Okiya for the commoners, but also for Shinobi. In fact, it was mostly occupied by Shinobi.

Shinobi lived lives filled with cruelty and roughness. Whenever they came here, they could get the gentleness and kindness they could not have gotten otherwise. That was what Geisha were for. We gave the men fantasies they could not achieve in their realities. We created a life they desire, but can never posses.

Shinobi, people who were always on their guard, could come here to relax. Here they would not have to be on guard. Many geisha's were trained as kunoichi and should anything happen they were fierce fighters and could protect themselves should the need arrive. This is what the Shinobi craved.

Even for commoners, escaping from the stress and exhaustion of their normal lives was highly sought for. Many commoners that visited were married men.

Those men sought for comfort their wives could not offer, for they did not have the unblemished and soft skin. Those wives worked hard and roughened their skins. But not geisha. We were to keep soft and perfect skins.

I sighed softly; annoyed by the soft steps we were taking. I was a person who wanted to do things quickly, who wanted to was quickly. I was not someone for gentleness, quietness and kindness. I was raised with three brothers, two older one younger. The only feminine person in my life had been mother. But not even she was as flawless as a geisha when around us. Only when in social places would she be the flawless wife she had to be.

I was never meant to live the life of a geisha. The shielded, guarded life of an entertainer. That was not me. I was made for running around, getting dirty. For fighting and having rough skin. That was me.

We went all the way to the back of the Okiya. There were many closed rooms here. They were without a doubt for us, the trainees. The true geisha's always got the biggest room. The higher in standing you were, the more magnificent your chamber was.

We made our way to the last room, the room at the very back. The girl with the freckle opened the sliding door, letter the girl with the black and white hair enter first. She entered and sat down on one of the cushions. "These are your chambers. You will reside here until you become a Maiko." She said as she pointed towards the low table in front of here. "Put the plate here." I did as asked and sat down in front of her.

Her critical eye looked over me, deciding what to do next.

"Chikayoshi, go get them." The girl said. The freckled girl, Chikayoshi, quickly bowed her head. "Hai, Chikafuku-neesan." She quickly shuffled out of the room. Ah, she was a Maiko. I was silently wondering who Chikafuku was talking about, but my wondering was quickly disturbed by her talking.

"You lack elegance, but you seem to have some sort of grace at least. Though I cannot understand what Okaa-san saw in you. Your nails are not taken care of, your skin is dirty and you look like you hate the whole world. You will never get a _Danna_ if you act like such." She said as she poured herself a cup of tea. She raised it to her mouth and took some small sips.

I shook my head. "No, Nee-san. I lack both grace and elegance. I was never taught to look after my nails. I was forced to come here. I hate it here. However, I have been given no choice. Much like many of you. However, I will not let you change my personality. I am who I am and I will not change that no matter the price." I said. I could see the anger inside of her build up and I was smirking inside. I knew that what I just did was not a smart thing to do, but I could not help myself. She was about to say something when de door opened.

The girl, Chikayoshi, entered the room followed by three servants. They were all carrying something and placed it on the ground in front of Chikafuku. She was still looking at me, but now with a smirk.

"These girls will clean you. Then you will start training. Okaa-san wanted you to become a Maiko as soon as possible. You should be lucky it is not me who will be your onee-san for I would have punished you for your insolence already. However, it is not my place."

I gulped as two of the girls moved behind me. I was kneeling and to be honest, my feet were starting to hurt. They loosened my hair letting it flow to the ground, gathering in a bunch as it was to my knees when standing. Oh god no. They were going to comb it.

Just as my thoughts finished I could feel the warm, wax-covered comb go through my hair. It pulled my face with and damn it, it hurt! I tried to struggle, but it was of no help. They just continued combing and pulling.

During the torture I had to endure, Chikafuku started telling me the etiquette we had to remember. "Never think you are better than the costumer. You are not. Don't provoke the shinobi and just do as they say. They should give you no trouble if you do. If anything is wrong, call the kunoichi and they will handle it and never are you to ask favours of the costumers. They are here for their pleasure, not yours."

Chikafuku made sure to laugh as a particularly painful knot was combed away.

"You will get your own personal kunoichi when you become a Maiko. They will be much like your onee-san. Your onee-san has already been chosen but you will be told when you become a Maiko. She will guide you well, I believe. You are two of the same."

I glared at her as she laughed once again at the pained look on my face.

It took a while for them to finish, but I guess they thought that I was presentable now. They removed the little hair I had on my body. A geisha was not to have any hair on her body other then on her head and her eyebrows. They also showed me the proper way to put on the training yukata. Then they left and they left me in my sleeping yukata.

I quickly crawled into the futon and drew the bedding up to my chin.

It was then that all the pain I had endured the past few days decided to appear.

I wept.


End file.
